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Trump Says Ceasefire Still in Effect After Exchange of Strikes; Officials Worldwide Scramble to Track Deadly Infections; Iran Implements New Rules in Strait of Hormuz; Trump: Truce Holding Despite New Exchange Of Fire With Iran; Rubio Meets Pope Leo As Trump Continues Attacks On Pontiff. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired May 08, 2026 - 02:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[02:00:00]

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ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Eleni Giokos in Dubai. Ahead this hour, a shaky ceasefire is still in place after the U.S. and Iran exchange strikes. We're live in Abu Dhabi with the latest. Plus, Iran officially implements new rules in the Strait of Hormuz. A maritime expert will join me to talk about this. And we're also focusing on this. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA VAN KERKHOVE, EPIDEMIOLOGIST: This is not SARS-CoV-2. This is not the start of a COVID pandemic. This is an outbreak that we see on a ship. But this is not the same situation we were in six years ago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: The World Health Organization is hoping to calm hantavirus outbreak fears as countries race to trace and contain the disease. U.S. President Donald Trump -- U.S. President Donald Trump says the ceasefire with Iran is still in effect despite a new exchange of fire between the two countries. But he's warning Tehran they better sign a peace deal fast or the U.S. Military will knock them out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Is the ceasefire with Iran still on?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Yes, it is. They trifled with us today. We blew them away. They trifled. They called it a trifle. I'll let you know when there's no ceasefire. You won't have to know. If there's no ceasefire, you're not going to have to know. You're just going to have to look at one big glow coming out of Iran.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: The U.S. says it launched self-defense strikes on four areas along the Iranian coast, targeting missile and drone launch sites, command and control locations, as well as other assets. Iran says the attack hit civilian areas and oil tankers. U.S. Central Command says the strikes are in retaliation for Iranian attacks on three Navy- guided missile destroyers that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz. None of those ships were actually struck.

Meanwhile, Iran says it is still receiving and reviewing one-page memorandum that's aimed at ending the war. A response had been expected on Thursday.

There are also new reports right now of Iranian missile and drone attacks on the United Arab Emirates where I am. We've got CNN's Paula Hancocks live for us in Abu Dhabi with details. Paula, this is the third time this week we've had oh the reports around missile and drone attacks towards the UAE. What more do we know?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So, Eleni, this is information coming to us from the Ministry of Defense here. It was a couple of hours ago now where they said that they were on -- there was ongoing engaging operations of missiles and UAVs, so drones, from Iran. There has been no word of what was targeted or whether there has been any damage at this point.

But, as you say, this has been a week where we have seen once again the UAE being targeted by Iran. Certainly, earlier in the week, on Monday, there was significant targeting. We saw some 19 missiles and drones, according to the Ministry of Defence, being engaged as Iran was retaliating against the UAE once again. That actually led to a partial closure of the Emirati airspace. We know that flights now have a very narrow route that they can travel through, and that is in place until May the 11th.

So, once again, we're seeing the UAE becoming the really number one target for Iran. And it is obviously of concern for authorities here, knowing that when there is this trading of fire between the U.S. and Iran, it is the UAE that comes under fire from Tehran. Eleni?

GIOKOS: Yes. Exactly. They're in the brunt of the strikes here in the Gulf. Give me a sense of what we know around exchange of fire in the Strait of Hormuz between the U.S. and Iran and how the U.S. says and still maintains that the ceasefire is still in place.

HANCOCKS: So, the information we have is from U.S. Central Command. They said that there were three destroyers that came under fire from Iran.

[02:04:58]

They say that -- quote -- "U.S. forces intercepted unprovoked Iranian attacks and responded with self-defense strikes as U.S. Navy-guided missile destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Oman."

Now, they say that they did intercept all of these attacks, that there were no military assets that were struck during this attack. But in response, they said that they carried out strikes against Iranian missile targets in Bandar Abbas, also in Qeshm. So, a number of different locations. They say they targeted launch sites of these missiles and drones, also command and control locations.

What we're hearing from the Iranian side is that the reason that they fired on these destroyers is that they believe the U.S. had violated the ceasefire earlier in the week by taking over or at least intercepting an Iranian vessel.

Now, we know that on Wednesday, there was an Iranian vessel that was disabled by the U.S. Military as it was trying to enter an Iranian port. The U.S. naval blockade is still very much in place in the Strait of Hormuz and in these areas also. Iran claiming that it was civilian areas that were targeted, not military areas.

But what we're hearing from the political side, certainly from the U.S. president, is that he is very much downplaying this, that the ceasefire is still in place. He called it a "love tap" at one point. He said they're trifling with us, but the ceasefire is still ongoing.

We were expecting to hear something from Tehran, at least that's what our sources have been telling us, about the U.S. proposal that's on the table at the moment, on Thursday. That hasn't happened. Potentially, we could hear something about that today.

The U.S. president saying it's far more than a one-page offer, saying that Iran has agreed they will not have a nuclear weapon and agreed that they will hand over the stockpile of highly enriched uranium. This is something we haven't heard directly from Tehran. But, certainly, we know that it is one of the key issues when it comes to this deal, that the U.S. wants to make sure that they have in writing. Eleni?

GIOKOS: All right. Paula Hancocks, thanks so much for that update. And joining us now Geneva, Switzerland, Paul Salem, who is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and former director of the Carnegie Middle East Center. Really good to have you with us. We just our reporter, Paula, giving us an update on what we've seen as exchange of fire in the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump saying that this is a love tap, maintaining that the ceasefire is still in place. What is your assessment of those developments?

PAUL SALEM, SENIOR FELLOW AT MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE, FORMER DIRECTOR OF CARNEGIE MIDDLE EAST CENTER: It is important to note, I think, that the Iranians like to be at the negotiating table although they don't like to give major concessions at the negotiating table. It is also the case that the Iranians are investing a lot and simply being able to survive American attacks. That feeds into their sort of ideology of resilience and resistance.

And I must say, I'm very worried about the day after the war when they have to face their domestic population. They were facing major uprisings before this war.

[02:09:55]

So, in all cases, I don't think they're in a hurry to provide any concession in any major way, but they want to keep this war limited or have an extended ceasefire and maybe come to a very, very limited agreement. So, I don't expect major progress soon although I could imagine an agreement to extend the talks to open the Strait of Hormuz. That will relieve the pressure on both side without either side having to give major concession or to declare that they either won or lost.

GIOKOS: Yes. Paul, we've, you know, heard from Ministry of Defense here in the UAE, again, dealing with missile and drone threats. This is the third day this week that we've had this announcement. And I wonder where you see, you know, relationship, sort of the post-war security architecture, where that lands, when we are seeing consistent threats across the Gulf.

SALEM: Yes, that's a very interesting question. I mean, the targeting of the UAE by Iran mainly reflects the fact that the UAE has been the most defiant, the most attacked. It is the one that has an agreement with Israel. But it has really taken that to heart. It has Israeli forces in the UAE helping defend the UAE, whereas other countries like Saudi Arabia or Qatar and so on have taken a more -- I wouldn't say completely neutral approach, but a more distant approach. So, I think Iran is trying to crack the UAE as kind of the hard nut or the Sparta of those small states and trying to cow them.

What you also see in terms of the sort of realignments or the security architecture is that all of the GCC states are doubling down on security arrangements with the U.S. There was just a major multi- billion-dollar expansion of a deal with UAE and Bahrain and Qatar to plus up their anti-missile defense equipment, and this was from the U.S. So, it's the U.S. equipment that helped defend all of these GCC states. That's on the security level.

But at the political level, you see Saudi Arabia and some other states going in a different direction than Iran. Saudi Arabia is negotiating with Iran, communicating with Iran, trying to de-escalate, trying diplomatically to find a pathway for a more stable Gulf, whereas you see the UAE in a much more sort of defiant position. So, the politics within the GCC is probably going to need a while to play itself out to see where everybody stands on these issues.

GIOKOS: Well, Paul Salem, really appreciate your insights today. Much appreciated. Public health leaders accuse the U.S. government and CDC of not doing enough to communicate with Americans about the deadly hantavirus outbreak. President Trump now says a full report is expected in the coming day. The World Health Organization says five infections have been identified among people linked to the Hondius cruise ship and three people have died. As authorities race to trace and contain the outbreak, dozens of people have already traveled back to their home countries.

CNN's Randi Kaye has the report for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More than two dozen passengers from 12 different countries possibly exposed to the hantavirus on board the MV Hondas cruise ship already on the move around the world. The cruise company, Oceanwide Expeditions, confirming that 29 passengers got off the ship at St. Helena and one body was removed after the first leg of the cruise on April 24th, 10 days before the first official hantavirus case was confirmed.

TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR GENERAL, WHO: While this is a serious incident, WHO assesses the public health risk as low.

KAYE (voice-over): Those who disembarked early on include six passengers from the United States. Oceanwide says all those who got off the ship have been contacted by the cruise company.

GHEBREYESUS: Given the incubation period of the Andes virus, which can be up to six weeks, it's possible that more cases may be reported.

KAYE (voice-over): Authorities are still trying to get a handle on the exact movements of the Dutch couple they believe is at the center of the outbreak, the first two people to die.

GHEBREYESUS: Prior to boarding the ship, the first two cases traveled through Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay on a birdwatching trip, which included visits to sites where the species of rat that's known to carry this virus was present.

KAYE (voice-over): None of the people on board are showing symptoms of the virus, health officials say, but cases and suspected cases around the world are rising.

DR. JEANNE MARRAZZO, PRESIDENT, INFECTIONS DISEASE SOCIETY OF AMERICA: When people are very symptomatic, particularly with fever, that is when they are most infectious for this virus.

KAYE (voice-over): In Switzerland, a man on the same flight as the 69-year-old Dutch woman, who died after collapsing in the airport, is also in the hospital.

[02:15:03]

In Singapore, two people from the ship are isolating and awaiting test results. In Canada, three people are asymptomatic and self-isolating. Eight French nationals are also being tested after contact with a passenger who tested positive for hantavirus. And in Germany, a passenger from the ship was whisked away to the hospital by ambulance to quarantine.

Here in the U.S., two passengers from Georgia, two from Texas, one from Arizona, another from Virginia, and an undisclosed number of people from California are all being monitored by their state health departments. That includes daily temperature checks. None of these people are officially in quarantine. Those on board are isolating in their cabin rooms and being asked to wear a mask when they leave.

The ship is expected to arrive in Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands this weekend. It won't anchor in the port though. Smaller boats will ferry passengers in to minimize risk. When the 13 passengers and one crew member from Spain disembark, they will immediately be taken to this hospital in Madrid to quarantine. Meantime, authorities continue to insist there is no cause for alarm.

KERKHOVE: This is not SARS-CoV-2. This is not the start of a COVID pandemic. It doesn't spread the same way like coronaviruses do. It's very different. It's that close intimate contact that we've seen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE (on camera): No official quarantine plan has been made public. It seems to be still a work in progress. Now, the World Health Organization is recommending isolation for confirmed and suspected cases. So, those are people who have been showing symptoms. But they are recommending active monitoring for everyone else. The question is, what does active monitoring mean? It seems to be left up to the countries to decide that. Is that full quarantine or is that just self-reporting of symptoms?

Now, the World Health Organization is still trying to work with various countries to make sure that they can get these passengers home in the safest way possible. Now, of course, everyone is concerned about the spread as we see the number of cases and possible cases rising. But the World Health Organization is quick to remind us that they saw something like this, an outbreak of hantavirus in 2018 in Argentina, and ended up being a total of 34 cases. So, they say this feels very familiar, and they are not concerned that this is going to be a large epidemic.

Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.

GIOKOS: And still ahead, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Pope Leo at the Vatican. What they discussed, that's coming up after the break. Plus, Iran announces new rules for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. We're live in Athens, Greece with reaction from the CEO of the maritime risk management company Marisks. We'll be right back.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VINCENT CLERC, CEO, MAERSK: We're looking at an extra cost bill of half a billion dollars a month that we're going to face basically from April and for as long as this last. Obviously, this is a significant amount. And there is something that we can do on cost mitigation, which we will do. But the rest of it is really a commercial conversation with customers about having to pass this cost on because, otherwise, this is completely unsustainable for us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: That was the CEO of Maersk warning that its customers will have to pay for the increased cost of disruption to global shipping caused by the war with Iran. The head of the Danish shipping and logistics company also said Maersk still has six ships stranded in the Persian Gulf, and he says they will stay there until the U.S. Military or another entity safely escorts them through the Strait of Hormuz or a political resolution allows for safe passage through the vital waterway.

France's transportation minister says the government is fully mobilized to help airlines hurt by jet fuel costs that have been pushed higher by the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran. Other measures include extended tax payment deadlines and cash flow support for the hardest hit businesses. France and other European countries are trying to prevent travel disruptions after some airlines warned of jet fuel shortages soon. About 75 percent of Europe's jet fuel is imported from the Middle East.

Shell is reporting that it earned almost $7 billion in the first three months of the year. That is almost $1.3 billion more than a year ago. Shell attributes the jump to the wild swings in oil prices caused by the Iran war and high prices for gasoline and jet fuel. The UK-based company says profits from its refineries, which turn crude oil into diesel and gasoline, was about $2 billion.

The tracking group Marine Traffic says shipping through the Strait of Hormuz dropped to near zero over the past few days. Some vessels may not show up because they've turned off their transponders. It comes as Iran has laid out a new set of rules for ships hoping to travel through the vital waterway. That is according to a document that was seen by CNN called the Vessel Information Declaration Form. Iran's newly created Persian Gulf Strait Authority says the form must be completed by all ships for safe passage and it's comprised of around 40 questions. It requires ship's name, I.D. number, country of origin, and destination. It also asks for the nationalities of the registered owner, manager, as well as crew.

[02:24:55]

Joining me now from Athens, Greece, Dimitris Maniatis is the founder and CEO of the maritime risk management company Marisks. Dimitris, great to have you with us. Thanks so much for joining us.

I mean, there's so much that has transpired this week. And, you know, tanker traffic basically down to zero. I want you to give me a sense of the risks right now that you're assessing in the strait. We've seen renewed strikes in the strait between Iran and the United States. And, of course, this new Persian Gulf Strait Authority trying to enforce, you know, a new protocol and formalize vessels moving through the strait.

DIMITRIS MANIATIS, FOUNDER AND CEO, MARISKS: Good morning, Eleni. Well, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority is basically the manifestation of the efforts that the Iranians have been doing in order to kind of -- quote, unquote -- "normalize" the process by which they will be verifying vessels' nationality and any affiliation they might have with the U.S. or Israel.

Everybody right now is very suspicious. The shipping industry and the maritime industry globally is very concerned. Ships are not going through the Strait of Hormuz. For the past 24 hours or more, we're seeing absolutely zero traffic through the strait. So, everybody right now is waiting for an official announcement of the end of hostilities, hopefully, or some kind of guidance on what are the next steps.

GIOKOS: And it feels like we've been in this cycle for the last 11 weeks. I mean, you know, President Trump at some point in the beginning of the war was talking about naval escorts. That never materialized. Then we heard about Project Freedom. That didn't even last 48 hours.

And I wonder if, you know, your clients are telling you that they're willing to test out any form or method that even Iran puts through to just try and get transit or is it just waiting on some kind of agreement that might alleviate the tanker traffic issue that we've seen, you know, since the last two months or the beginning of the war.

MANIATIS: Well, you know, as I said, everybody is very suspicious of everything. We need to remember that the Americans have announced that anybody dealing with the Iranians will be prosecuted, chased, hunted by the U.S. Navy globally.

So, if you're a ship owner, you're not just thinking about the current status of your vessels, potentially those that are trapped inside the Persian Gulf, but even more, you're thinking about the next day, your global operations, your other vessels that are within your fleet, and what consequences any action you take in this environment will have on the bigger picture.

People are hesitant to deal directly with Iran. People are hesitant to go through. There's the suspicion. There's no evidence on it that the central part of the Strait of Hormuz, the traditional transit separation steam alleys are mined. And we also see, you know, that vessels that have tried to make an escape have been attacked and hit by the Iranians. So, again, everybody is very suspicious and just in an indefinite pause of further action.

GIOKOS: Now, I mean, you've also said, we spoke a few times this week, and you were telling me that seafarers are not soldiers, and there's a psychological impact on the 20,000 plus seafarers right now that are trapped. Give me an idea of what, you know, your clients are telling you right now, and whether there's a hope that we'll see a coalition of governments coming into the strait to try and, you know, move vessels through. Will the escorts would even work in this scenario?

MANIATIS: OK, let's start from your last question. Escorts are incredibly difficult to guarantee safety of merchant vessels. We also need to understand the considerations of liability. If any Navy is escorting a ship, guaranteeing safe passage, and that ship is hit and potentially it becomes a total loss with casualties or fatalities, who takes the responsibility for everything that follows after that?

Generally, the Navy don't want to do escorts of commercial vessels. They don't want to take that responsibility. You see that Navy ships, first and foremost, have to protect their own selves. So, their mandate, generally speaking, is currently a war situation. So, they are fighting. They can't focus on escorting vessels, merchant vessels in and out of the Strait of Hormuz. I doubt that an international coalition of warships would be willing to undertake that impossible task.

[02:30:00]

It would just amplify the problems really in regards to the mariners that are trapped inside the Persian Gulf. It's not the same situation for every single one of them. It depends on what kind of vessel they're on, what kind of owner they are working for, how that owner perceives the well-being of the crew of the vessels that are trapped in there.

But overall, from a humanitarian point of view, they are suffering. The psychological stress is enormous. And these people are not soldiers. You know, seafarers are just normal people doing a normal job.

They want to go back to their families. They want to proceed with their day-to-day business. They don't want to be under the constant threat of an attack or of being collateral damage. So, the psychological factor is very key here. And we see a lot of mariners really suffering.

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR: Dimitris Maniatis, thank you so much for your insights today. Really good to have you on the show. Much appreciated.

Well, the U.S. and Iran take aim at each other, putting their ceasefire to the test. Still ahead on CNN, we talk to a military expert about what could come next. Stay tuned for that.

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[02:35:49]

GIOKOS: Welcome back.

Now, U.S. President Donald Trump says the ceasefire with Iran is still holding. That is despite the exchange of fire between the two countries on Thursday. The U.S. says it struck a series of military targets in Iran. Now, that is in response to what officials called unprovoked attacks on three U.S. destroyers in the Strait of Hormuz.

The warships were not damaged, but Tehran claims it went after them because the U.S. hit an Iranian oil tanker. All this comes as the U.S. waits for Iran's response to its latest proposal to end the war. President Trump is urging Iran to sign a deal fast or risk even more powerful strikes.

I want to bring in retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Robert Harward. He is former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command. He's also currently a fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America.

Sir, great to have you with us. I mean, there's so much that's transpired in the last 24 hours. I

think we wake up every morning to a barrage of news, not really knowing where things stand.

How are you describing the exchange of fire in the Strait of Hormuz? President Trump is defining it, defining it as a love tap. How are you reading into this militarily?

VADM ROBERT HARWARD (RET.), FORMER DEPUTY COMMANDER, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: Well, it's a further escalation of not only his military strategy, but his financial strategy as well. And both have been very effective. He's choked down their resources with the blockade. So, he can go after military targets now, commensurate with what he's seen from the Iranians.

So, Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Islands, those military targets that affect and support Iran's ability to close down the straits. I think that's what he's after right now. And that's the next step. But he has a lot further he can go if Iran will not agree to the conditions he's dictated through this process, that the Iranians are calling negotiations.

But the president has made very clear his goals and objectives that will be met to call a conclusion to the current hostilities.

GIOKOS: Yeah, that's a really important point, because we just don't know where this is headed as we wait for Iran's response. But quite interestingly, following those strikes, the U.S. CENTCOM posted on X saying the U.S. doesn't seek escalation but will protect U.S. forces.

I mean, what is your sort of assessment on defensive measures that are taken versus an actual moment of escalation? It almost feels like we're in a moment right now where we could find a diplomatic off ramp. But also, as you say, trying to eliminate some of those risks that, you know, are pretty evident in the Strait of Hormuz that are blocking the strait right now.

HARWARD: You've raised the issue very precisely. Weve been very effective with their strategic or operational efforts, their missiles and drones, as they saw recently going after UAE and our assets. We've been able to deal with that and shut that down somewhat, although some of that's still in abeyance.

But the more tactical use of these speedboats who go out and shoot at shipping, harass, shipping and cause problems is something the navy is dealing with as well. So, when you escalate, you try to keep it at that level, go after those boats, go after the ports they came after. But if that is not effective, they can ramp back up to come back after missile launchers, land sites, and ultimately dual use things that the military uses, as well as civilian population, such as roads of access, bridges, energy sources.

So that's the path of escalation. I think the president, the chairman has been very astute at keeping that as a level that does not present long term financial issues for Iran and the people of Iran, but they can quickly jump back to that level of escalation if the Iranians continue to escalate their use of power and setting the stage for compliance with the demands we've asked for.

GIOKOS: OK. Admiral, what is also quite interesting -- I mean, you're in Abu Dhabi.

[02:40:01]

We know the Ministry of Defense early this morning says that they were dealing with missile and drone threats. This is the third day this week that we've seen this.

President Trump says it does not you know, its not a violation of the ceasefire. It doesn't break the ceasefire. But it also brings into question what Iran's military capabilities are right now. And clearly, they're trying to send a very big message, not only by strikes here in the UAE, but also putting out this new Persian Gulf Strait Authority that they were trying to formalize what happens in the Strait of Hormuz.

HARWARD: Well, most of their military capabilities have been severely diminished. They still have tools in their kit, and they want to leverage that for as much impact as they can in this current arrangement on the Gulf is one of them. No one will ever agree to Iran having any influence, control or the ability to charge for traffic flowing through the straits. It's a -- it's an international waterway. It's necessary for the world commerce.

So, if Iran is going to continue to leverage that fight for that. And that's what they're using these tools to do to get as much as they can out of this for an enduring situation. That's what they're going to use their military force to do. And where everyone's focused on that. So I don't think that strategy is going to pan out.

I would also say most importantly, this strategy is survival. That's always what they play for time. Stay in charge. So regardless of where they end up, if they have to acquiesce on some of the straits, acquiesce on some of the nuclear issues, can they stay in power, out wait President Trump and continue to regroup and move back in that direction at the end of this conflict? And that's unacceptable to the president and his team.

GIOKOS: Exactly. I mean, it feels like a waiting game at this point.

Thank you, sir, for your time, former Deputy Commander Robert Harward. Thank you.

All right. We'll be back right after this. More to come. Stay with CNN.

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[02:46:46]

GIOKOS: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo at the Vatican on Thursday. The two discuss some of the issues and disagreements in recent weeks that led to tension between the Trump administration and the first American pontiff. CNN's Christopher Lamb reports from the Vatican.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think, broadly speaking, the meeting was productive. I mean, Secretary of State Marco rubio was inside the Vatican for, you know, around two hours. So, it wasn't just a meeting with Pope Leo. It was also meeting with other Vatican officials.

I saw a Vatican official just a few moments ago, and I asked him how he thought it went, and he said, good. And I think the fact that this meeting happened is going to be of some encouragement for the holy see and the pope, who clearly will want to have a channel of dialogue with the Trump administration. Pope Leo, after all, he's the first American pope, and he is someone who does seek common ground with leaders from across the world.

We know from a readout from the secretary -- from the State Department's office, that the meeting discussed the situation in the Middle East and a shared commitment, quote, to peace and human dignity. And I think, you know, there is something that perhaps the Vatican feel it can work with, but there is, of course, these unprecedented tensions between the pope and the president of the United States, who has launched really extraordinary attacks against Pope Leo, mainly because of his opposition to the war in Iran.

And, of course, the meeting today will probably need to be followed up by other meetings to try and mend fences and rebuild the relationship. Of course, a lot depends on how President Trump reacts. Will he continue to attack the pope, or will there now be more harmony? I think that's still very much in the balance.

But clearly today, a meeting that has in some ways reestablished a channel of dialogue at a time of extraordinary tension between the papacy and a U.S. administration

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GIOKOS: All right. Christopher Lamb there for us.

From music to food and then to film as well as fashion, Korean culture is everywhere. A new CNN series looks at how South Korea became such a powerhouse of global influence. A preview of "K-Everything," that is just ahead.

Stick with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:51:47]

GIOKOS: From award winning movies to beauty and music, South Korea has exploded into a cultural powerhouse. And in a new CNN original series "K-Everything", actor Daniel Dae Kim looks at how South Korea has become the ultimate influencer around the world. In the first episode, he explores the Korean pop music industry, and that has produced some of the most successful music acts ever.

Our Lynda Kinkade got a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN HOST: Daniel Dae Kim, great to have you with us.

DANIEL DAE KIM, HOST/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, CNN'S "K-EVERYTHING": Good to be here.

KINKADE: So, you have been a familiar face in Hollywood for decades, and now you're helping to tell the story of Korea's global cultural moment. From what I've seen so far, it is beautifully shot by our crews in Asia. How did you get involved in this project?

KIM: The short answer is they asked me. They were interested in the rise of Korean culture, just independently. And they thought, well, who would be someone who could help enhance this story and be a value add to the series? And when I heard about it, I was very excited because, you know, I have a very personal interest, as you might guess, in the subject matter. And so, I thought it was a nice combination of CNN's knowledge and my own independent knowledge of the country.

KINKADE: And in this series, you travel across Korea -- you meet chefs, creators, artists. What surprised you most when filming?

KIM: The collective energy of the country. You know, I asked the same five questions, after every interview, whether it was on camera or off camera of every -- every interviewee. And, you know, I asked them, name five things that characterize Korean culture. And the thing I was most surprised by was that there was only one answer that every single person said, and that answer was competitive and --

KINKADE: Wow.

KIM: Yeah. And when you think about that idea across the country, you realize why it became so successful, but also why, you know, it can be tough to make a living or raise a family because everyone is focused on achievement there. And so, it's a double edged sword, but we get to reap the benefits of a culture that's doing amazing things.

KINKADE: And speaking of people who've made it and success stories, you spent time with Psy, whose hit Gangnam style introduced so many people to K-pop music. Is he still seen as the original global K-pop trailblazer?

KIM: He's a phenomenon in Korea. He does a series of summer concerts that are sold out year after year. And, you know, they're events. And the man performs for hours and hours in the Seoul summer heat. And I got to tell you, that's no small feat. It's pure, high energy. And he has loved throughout the country.

It was a real treat talking to him. And that interview was a particularly special one because he wanted to do it over some glasses of wine. (LAUGHTER)

KIM: So --

KINKADE: That always makes the interview better. We should have done that.

KIM: Yeah, right. Made for a very good vibe.

[02:55:00]

KINKADE: Did he realize at the time that he was about to change global pop culture?

KIM: I don't think he did. And I would say that, you know, he has a history in the U.S. also, his English is flawless. And so, you know, he understood what it means to be an Asian American as well as Asian. And so, he knew the place that Korean culture had at that time and didn't have.

And so, the fact that he broke through the way he did was a surprise to him, as it was to so many of us.

KINKADE: I have to tell you that my daughters are obsessed with "K- Pop Demon Hunters", and there is no doubt that my family has contributed to this record streaming numbers you've seen on Netflix.

You were a part of that incredible film. How big a moment was that for you and for Korean culture when that launched?

KIM: Very similar to, you know, what Psy said in his interview? Like, no one can anticipate that kind of success. You can hope for it. But the level of success that that "K-Pop Demon Hunters" achieved is something that if you knew it was going to happen, then you're smarter person than I. When it was -- when it was brought to me, I thought it was, you know, a really fun project. I thought kids would love it. And I thought, you know, it would be another -- another way of introducing Korean culture to the world. But I had no idea it was going to be the phenomenon that it has.

And I've had so many friends who have young kids text me and call me and say, I'm mad at you because of you, I have that soundtrack on in my car every day, nonstop.

KINKADE: Yeah.

KIM: Because of my kids. And I love the fact that this past Halloween, the most popular Halloween costumes by far were the characters from "K-Pop Demon Hunters". So, to have non-Asian kids, you know, dress up as Korean pop stars was something I'd never thought I'd see in my lifetime.

KINKADE: After making this series and meeting so many creative voices, how do you hope viewers -- what do you hope viewers will take away about Korean culture and its influence in the world? KIM: It's a great question. And, you know, it's hard to generalize to

the entire population of the world, but I think there are certain common threads in Korean society that have allowed it to become as distinctive as it is. And I would love people to feel like now they have the one-on-one class for Korea.

So, if they ever want to visit, and they felt a little too intimidated by it, that now they're going to -- they'll feel encouraged to go. And if you already know something about Korea, that you've learned something new and are reminded of the things that make it so special.

KINKADE: Wonderful.

Daniel Dae Kim, it's been a pleasure. Can't wait for the next "K-Pop Demon Hunters" to come out, and I'm looking forward to the rest of this series. Thank you so much.

KIM: Thank you. Good to see you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GIOKOS: All right. That was Daniel Dae Kim. He's such a legend. And he's got a new show called "K-Everything". It premieres Saturday on CNN International at 8:00 a.m. in New York, 1:00 p.m. in London, 9:00 p.m. in Seoul, and you can also stream it on the CNN app. Definitely one to catch.

All right. I'm Eleni Giokos. I'm in Dubai. I'll be right back with more CNN NEWSROOM. Stay with CNN.

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